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Aerospace composites manufacturer Blackhawk Composites Inc. (Frankfort, Ky., USA) has announced that it will begin manufacturing operations in Butler County, Ky. The business is expected to create 20 new jobs initially, growing to 30 within the first year.

Blackhawk was established in September 2009 and will lease a 40,000 ft²/3,716m² facility to manufacture advanced aerospace composite parts for Cessna Caravan aircraft cowls.

"We are very pleased that we were able to establish this venture in Kentucky," said Gary Smrtic, president of Blackhawk Composites. "It has been the goal of our core team to bring aerospace work into south central Kentucky for some time, and this is the fruit of that labor."

"While Blackhawk Composites Inc is technically a start-up, our management team is certainly not new to business," added Smrtic. "Unlike most start-ups, we will begin with a long-term tooling and production contract for one type of aircraft already in place, as well as several other prospects we are discussing with other aircraft companies."

The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority preliminarily approved Blackhawk Composites for tax benefits up to $750,000 under Kentucky's new incentive program, the Kentucky Business Investment Program. The incentive can be earned over a 10-year period through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments. The maximum annual approved amount to be earned by Blackhawk Composites is $50,000.